Grain-cleaning attachment for elevators.



i I UNTTED STATES Patented 'May 31, 1902].- i

PATENT GEEICE.

AETHURL. DEAN, or BROWN vALLEnMINNEsoTA;

i GRAIN-CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR ELEvAToRs.

SPECIFICATION forming part ,of Letters Patent No. 761,453, dated Mayl, 1904. I Application filed March 23, 1903.. Serial No. 149,171. (No model.) i

zen of the United States, residing at Brownl, `Valley, in the county of Traverse and State of Minnesota, have invented a new anduseful 4Grain-Cleaning Attachment for Elevators, of i which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved de-` vice which is in thc nature of -an attachment for grain-elevators, said attachmentbeing la the separation from the grain of dust, smut, chaff, and other light and worthless particles and. having for a further .object the cooling and drying of the grain.

My invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and 'combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim. y

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an elevator-chute having my invention applied'thereto. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation 'of the same.

Corresponding parts in the several gures are indicated by similar numerals of reference. Y

1 designates the upper yend of the leg of a grain-elevator, and 2 is the discharge-chute of the same. This elevator is of the kind which are generally used in buildings usually termed .elevators, where grain is stored, and it may be of any suitable approved construc-l tion. v

My present improvement consists in suitably attachingto the discharge-chute 2 the casing 3 of a fan or blower, which lattermay be of any lsuitable and well-known 4construetion.

Inl the accompanying drawings I have for purposes ofillustration shown a fan 4 of the propeller order, said 'fan comprising a shaft 5, upon which' a plurality of blades 6 are set slantingly, the air entering through openings 7 in the front side of the fan-casing and being discharged through a spout 8, which venters into the discharge-chute of the elevator and which preferably comprises upper and lower sides 9 and 10, converging at the discharge end, the under side 10 being provided with a slot 11, .opening intothedischargechute of the elevator. They top boardl 9 of the Wind-spout'of thefan-casing thus forms a deilecting-board, upon which the grain discharged by theendlesscarrier of the elevator into the chuter-2 is dropped and spread, as will be readily'understood, prior to beingacted upon by the current of air coming through the opening 11. One or more additional baffies or deecting and spreading boards, as 12, lcleaning device for the purpose ofy effectingy may be suitably arranged inthe discharge'- spout 2 above-the fan-casing.

14 designates an exit-spout from the discharge-chute, which is inclined upwardly from the saidchute and which has a downward extension 15 disposed below the discharge-opening of the lfan-casing. The spout 14 is eX- tended upwardly for some distance andhas a downward-extending branch 16 for the purpose of intercepting the smut, chaff, and other comparativelyfheavy matter, while the dust continues through the chute 14 and is finally ejected from the same, while the matter passing through the branch spout 16 may be saved.

The fan-casing 3, in addition to being supported by the discharge-spout 2, is preferably provided with an additional support 17, having a bracket 18, affording a bearing for the fan-shaft 5. The latter is driven from a shaft 19 in the hood of the elevator, which carries the wheel-or wheels over which the endless carrier is run, said shaft 19 being extended and provided with a vpulley 20, from which motion may be transmitted, by means of a belt 21, to the fan-shaft 5, which is provided with fixed and loose pulleys 22 23 in order that the fan may be started or stopped, as occasion may demand. It is obvious that when this means for transmitting motion is employed a suitable belt-shifting dev-ice is to be included; but this is so well understood that I have not considered it necessary` to show the same in the drawings.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that Ido not limit myself with regard to the kind or character of fan employed nor with regard to the'means for vtransmitting motion to said combination, vwith the discharge-chute of a grain-elevator, of a fan discharging its blast IOO into or transversely through said chute without regard to the detailed construction or arrangement ofthe parts of the device.

When grain is delivered to the place of storage known as elevators, it is frequently found that its quality might be greatly improved by recleaning, as well as by cooling and drying. Sometimes the grain after being delivered to the elevator is aired by transferring from one bin to another; but in the busy season this is not always possible, and consequently grain is frequently injured by being permitted to remain in a bin even for a short time when delivered into such bin in a heated and somewhat damp condition.

:Bymy improved attachment to the discharge-chute of the elevator the grain instead of being delivered directly to the storage-bin is subjected to the cooling and drying action of the blast of lair passing from the fan-casing into the chute. The spreading boards or deilectors, one of which is in the present ease constituted by the top board of the discharge-spout of the fan-easing, serve to spread and loosen the grain, so that it may to the fullestextent receive the benefit of the action of the air-blast to which it is subjected. From the top board 9 of the fan-easing the grain drops directly through theblast emitted through the opening 1l upon the dcflecting-board 15, formed by the downward extension of the chute 14, and thence to the discharge-opening of the chute, from which it is conveyed to the desired place of deposit. It will be understood from the foregoing description that my invention is capable of being modified in a great many particulars without in anywise detracting from its utility and general eiciency for the purposes for which it is intended, and I therefore desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the structu ral details herein described, but reserve the right to any changes, alterations, and modifications within the scope of my invention which may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In a device of the class described, a graindischarge chute, a plurality of baffles within the same, an upwardly-inclined passage extending laterally from the discharge-chute and having a depending branch, a baile formed by an inward extension of the bottom of said passage into the grain-chute, a blower and a casing for the latter, said casing including converging top and bottom members extending. into the grain-chute above the baiic formed by the inwardly-extended end of the bottom of the laterally-extending passage, said top member forming an intermediate baffle and said bottom member being provided with a slot through which the blast is directed against the bottom of the passage.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiixcd my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR L. DEAN.

vWitnesses:

A. LUDKE, Sr., HENRY W. LUDKn. 

